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You think you’re doing “everything right” or “eating healthy,” but you might be hurting your efforts to get and stay well by not paying attention to the harmful effects of the everyday items you use at home.

Chemicals in your household products may be negatively affecting your hormones, says a recent study by the WHO (World Health Organization). The study, “State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals,” says pesticides, plasticizers and product additives contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They act like synthetic hormones, throwing off the body’s natural hormonal system. Hormones are chemical messengers produced by the glands in our endocrine system and released in our blood, affecting everything from mood to metabolism.

The exposure happens on a daily basis from being in contact with items like soap, shampoo, cleaners, drinking water, food and plastic containers. One of the chemicals investigated in the study is BPA, or Bisphenol A, which mimics estrogen if it’s introduced into the body. It can get there by leaching out of hard plastic bottles, especially if they are heated (in microwave ovens or dishwashers) or exposed to acidic solutions (tomato sauce). BPA has been linked to breast cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

BPA was banned in baby bottles and sippy cups in 2012, but can still be found in plastic reusable food containers, measuring cups, canned soup, soda cans and cash register and ATM receipts. If you think you’ll be safe if a product claims “No BPA” on the label, you’d be wrong. A new exposé by Mother Jones magazine revealed that chemicals used to replace BPA may be just as dangerous to your health, if not more. “Plastic products being advertised as BPA-free — and sold by companies such as Evenflo, Nalgene and Tupperware — are still releasing synthetic estrogen,” the article stated.

Another chemical to be aware of is the antibacterial chemical Triclosan, found in many personal-care products, including liquid soap, deodorant, acne cream and toothpaste. A really effective way to absorb chemicals is through the mouth. For example, when a drug like nitroglycerin is administered for a heart condition it is given under the tongue for fast absorption. So are natural homeopathic remedies. So what happens when you brush with toothpaste containing Triclosan? You get a dose of the chemical.

“Three out of four Americans have Triclosan in their blood,” said Sarah Janssen, M.D., Ph.D, senior scientist in the health and environment program at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) in San Francisco. “And when you brush your teeth with a toothpaste containing the chemical, your levels go way up.”

According to scientists, Triclosan is proven to be an endocrine disruptor in laboratory animals. It decreases thyroxine levels in the thyroid (Crofton, 2007); interferes with testosterone and decreases sperm counts (Kumar, 2009); and interferes with estrogen, bringing on early puberty (Stoker, 2010). The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that girls in the US are entering puberty at earlier ages than they have in the past. Plus, $3 to $5 billion is spent per year in the U.S. on infertility treatments. Could there be a connection to Triclosan exposure? While tests haven’t been done on humans, we may be even more sensitive than lab animals, so it’s probably best to avoid it.

What can you do?
• Get tested at a lab that measures hormones, specifically estrogen, testosterone and thyroid levels. A great diagnostic testing service that doesn’t require a doctor’s visit is WellnessFX.com.
• Replace plastic drinking bottles and storage containers with glass or metal.
• Read labels. Look for the word “antibacterial” as a clue that the product contains Triclosan, and don’t buy it.
• Use plain soap and water. Antibacterial soaps and washes are not any better at killing germs and could contribute to the growth of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics.

Tips On Reducing Plastic AND BPA Use In Your Home

Earth Day is the perfect time to think about what you are doing to help protect the environment, and there are some easy ways to do just that. For one, start by reducing your use of plastic. First, start with your single use plastic grocery bags. Think about how many of these bags you use to hold a few peppers, apples or lemons, only to discard them once you’re home? The average person uses between 500 and 1000 of these a year. They cause massive environmental damage…only a fraction of them are recycled, with most ending up in landfill. According to the EPA in 2010, only 12 percent of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled.

3 Easy Ways to Clean Your Indoor Air and Stay Healthy

Most of us think of pollution as bus or car fumes or the smokestacks from factories spewing into the air outside. But did you know that the air inside our homes can be 5 or 10 times more polluted? We unwittingly expose ourselves and our children to dangerous chemicals in our everyday products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.

We assume they are safe. But in fact, many popular household cleaners are dangerously toxic. Learn about the eight scariest substances hiding under your kitchen sink, and how to replace them with safer, more natural options that really work.

By Jessie Sholl for ExperienceLife.com / October 2011

When a pain in Beth Greer’s shoulder led her to a chiropractor nine years ago, she wasn’t that worried. After all, she led a healthy lifestyle: She watched her weight, meditated regularly, and ate mostly organic food. Greer’s chiropractor wasn’t worried either; he diagnosed her with a herniated disk. But after three sessions, not only was she not better, the pain was beginning to radiate down her arm and into her fingers. (more…)

Mill Valley Life recently wrote a feature article on Beth entitled “Mill Valley “super natural” mom, author, and entrepreneur Beth Greer keeps it green and healthy, one home at a time.”

The feature covers Beth’s journey and her devotion to helping people lead a more healthy life by limiting exposure to toxins commonly found in our environment, food, and in the products we use every day. She also discusses her book, Super Natural Home.

Stinky, sweet smelling air fresheners, cologne, body sprays, and scented shampoo are made with synthetic fragrances, and they’re bad for your health…especially children and pregnant women. These factory-made fragrances contain phthalates, which are chemicals that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems.

I tell my clients not to buy artificially scented products for their home or office because they can also trigger migraine headaches, allergies and asthma attacks. A recent Institute of Medicine study sponsored by the EPA put fragrances in the same category as second hand smoke as a trigger for asthma in school-age children. (more…)

GUEST:Jerry Hart, radio host of Smart Green Travel on Green960 and brother of Mickey Hart, the drummer for the Grateful Dead, talks about his journey from escaping colon cancer to seeing the light about becoming green. Jerry talks about raising your consciousness when traveling and shares some eco-friendly tips we can use when on the road.

Food manufacturers are trying to make you think that processed food is just as healthy as unprocessed food. The New York Times reported on September 8 that there’s a new green checkmark label called Smart Choices that is starting to show up in grocery stores now. You’ll see it on hundreds of packages, including, get this, cereals like Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops. Just thinking about these cereals makes my teeth ache from all the sugar in them! This new food-labeling campaign is backed by big food manufacturers like Kraft, Kellogg’s, General Mills, and PepsiCo (no surprise there), and is designed to “help shoppers easily identify smarter food and beverage choices.” (more…)

There’s so much controversy surrounding vaccines. I’ve read that they can cause autism and neurological problems. In California and some other states, you can get an exemption or vaccination waiver at schools if you are philosphically opposed to immunizing your child. But at my daughter’s summer sleepaway camp they have a mandatory rule that every child must be vaccinated. For 2009, the count was 15. Next year, more will be added. New Jersey now has mandatory vaccination laws for all children. From what I’m reading, there is a push to have mandatory vaccinations for everyone in the US. (more…)

Listen to my June 17th interview on Progressive Radio Network with Dr. Sabrina McCormick, sociologist, documentary filmmaker and author of the new book “No Family History: The Environmental Link to Breast Cancer.” (more…)